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Flash for 9 October 2018

Our meeting began in the usual way with President Gene James leading in the Pledge of Allegiance, God Bless America and our invocation by John Sproull.

Sergeant at Arms Report:
Mark Barnhart reported 30 of our 72 members were in attendance.
Guests: John Ventre

Announcements:

Club News:

Foundation Moment with Jeff Balzer: Although polio has been around since ancient times, the polio outbreak in 1949 was a very bad one. There were 42 thousand cases of polio reported in the United States alone and 2,720 people died, most of them children. One polio survivor says, “I was just six years old, the polio attacked my lungs and it immobilized me completely. I was put in an iron lung.” At that time, no one knew how polio was transmitted. She says her house was quarantined, her family shunned and no one, not even her parents, could approach her. She said that “during those first few weeks, there were 200 children in my hospital ward with more arriving every day and there was a huge nursing shortage.” People were scared. How to treat polio was as big a mystery as was to how it was spread. Our survivor says “There was a wringer-washer in my room, the nurses would fill up the washer with steaming hot water and soak cut up wool blankets and then run them through the mangle. They would then wrap them around my arms, legs and midriff. It was a procedure that was painfully uncomfortable.” The treatment also included whirlpool baths. It was these treatments that saved my life.” Today, less than 20 cases have been reported worldwide. But even just one case is one too many. For more information on how to help end polio go to www.rotary.org.

Word of the Week with Jim Steeley: Blasphemy is the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God and a bonus word: Minced oath is a euphemistic expression formed by misspelling, mispronouncing, or replacing a part of a profane, blasphemous, or taboo term to reduce the original term’s objectionable characteristics.

Greensburg Salem Interact Club will host the Harlem Wizards (basketball) on Tuesday, November 13 at 7:00pm at Greensburg Salem High School. Tickets are $10 each or courtside tickets are $25 each.

Speaker:
Mandy Zalich introduced today’s speaker, Dan Carney, Executive Director, Union Mission. The Union Mission was founded in 1987 by a single individual who, in conjunction with the Latrobe Ministerial Association, saw the need for a short-term residential facility for disadvantaged men. The Mission would provide housing and support for men who were experiencing economic and/or personal crises in their life. Men do not just “stay” at the Mission. They are oriented into the community with a broader purpose and given opportunities for ongoing counseling, fellowship, group activities and much more. We advocate for both our men and our community to see past the erroneous stigmas attached to homelessness and invite one another to a more accurate understanding of the dignity of the human person.

EMERGENCY MEN’S SHELTER PROGRAM – As the only shelter for men in all of Westmoreland County, the Union Mission recognizes the significant role it plays as both an intermediary in time of crises and as a solution for men who find themselves without shelter. Our main goal is to help our men transition through this difficult period of time while maintaining the dignity and respect they deserve.

PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROGRAM – Within our community and the men we serve, there are pervasive issues which impacts a person’s ability to maintain stable housing and self-sufficiency. Left unaddressed these issues lend themselves to chronic homelessness. In an effort to meet these unique needs, the Union Mission operates a Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) program consisting of 6 apartments. This stable, supportive housing environment not only allows the time necessary for our clients to seek the treatment and assistance needed but also affords them an opportunity to hone their new skills, coping strategies, and self-management techniques. While there is no limit on residency length in this program, we coordinate with the tenants to establish a time-line for accomplishment of goals, personal growth, and, when appropriate, transition to traditional housing environments.